Hicks: Mark Wahlberg to star in 'Transformers 4'

Mark Wahlberg will star in "Transformers 4," according to director Michael Bay.

Good. It's about time we have someone in those movies willing to punch a giant robot in the face.

Bay and Walhlberg teamed up on the upcoming crime tale "Pain and Gain." The "Transformers" sequel, planned to debut June 2014, also has a sleek new logo based on the Decepticon insignia.

"Mark is awesome. We had a blast working on 'Pain and Gain' and I'm so fired up to be back working with him. An actor of his caliber is the perfect guy to reinvigorate the franchise and carry on the Transformers' legacy," said Bay.

Last week, the director denied rumors about Wahlberg taking over for previous franchise star Shia LaBeouf, saying he was considering Wahlberg for another film.

Then he followed up on his website, saying maybe it wasn't a bad idea after all: "Let's say some ideas are gaining traction with me and my writer -- so I'm here to say thanks Internet chatter."